Redmond surprised developers at Build by launching Linux Bash support, but it’s now gone back to its bread and butter with updates to its Universal Windows apps. As a reminder, those are apps that work across Windows mobile, Xbox and desktop platforms. Perhaps the most important among those are from Facebook, which now has gone Universal for both its main app and Messenger. Other social apps, including, Twitter, Instagram and Vine have received new updates.
Other new versions of popular apps include Uber, Hulu, Dailymotion, Skype and, yes, Engadget. Xbox gamers, meanwhile, get updates to Tomb Raider, Disney infinity and other titles. Microsoft courted some controversy recently after it closed its store to third-party apps, but has now said it will allow modifications to such apps. In addition, it’s recently introduced software called Centennial to import Win32 software.
Windows desktop users may not care as much about Universal apps, since the features are already accessible by browser. However, the new apps are pretty important for Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile plans. Social media apps are obviously crucial, but so are other popular categories of apps like banking. As such, the new app from American Express is bound to be popular, as is the new offering from Starbucks.
Get all the news from today’s Microsoft Build keynote right here, and follow along with our liveblog!